Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Here's some pics of an overnighter the wife and I took in the early part of January 2012. This area is near Lawton Oklahoma and it is designated a wildlife refuge. Bison, Elk, deer and other small animals can be found here. It's a popular area for the birdwatchers also. There are also hiking trails to be found. We tested out the new Kaitum 3. The spot I picked was not too far from where the trailhead parking is, about a mile and a half. No one seems to go here this time of the year so we had the whole area to ourselves in regards to camping. We did see about 4 day hikers before the sun set. They were hiking to a rock formation called "Crab Eyes". This area was actually burned during the wildfires which hit N. Texas and Oklahoma during the summer of 2011. New growth is slowly starting to spring up. When we arrived the temp was in the mid 60's F and barely a breeze. As soon as the sun set, it dropped into the low 50's F. The wind shifted during the night out of the north and the temp dropped more, bottoming out around 34 deg F. In the tent, it was a balmy 45 deg F. The tent was rock solid even with winds gusting to around 20 mph or so. Pretty cool refuge to check out if you are ever in the area. It's south of Oklahoma City about and hour and a half.

This area is a remnant of the rocky mountains about 300 million years old:

Thanks for sharing these pictures, they bring back memories. I did a trip there in 1968 and three of us went up to Mt Scott and explored various other spots including the little town I believe was called Medicine Creek? My home town at the time was Wichita Falls, TX.

Rick, I grew up in NJ and I remember going to the northwest part of the state, eastern PA and into NY state to tromp around in the woods. I always liked the forests back east but then I moved out West to Colorado. Literally, I was in the mountains every weekend summer and winter. I regret never making it to Moab. The further west you go, the more there is to see.

Tipi, the town is Medicine Park and it is still there. It's a big draw for all the Harley riders. Plus there is a restaurant called "The Plantation" which does a fair amount of business in the summer months. The littlest skyscraper is still standing in Wichita Falls.

Jake, did not see wildlife this trip. Many of the buffalo are herded into different areas of the refuge due the the fire damage. The elk have scattered to different areas as well.

Gonzan, the wife does go, but not very often. Generally short, overnighters, but car camping is a different story. She prefers that due to the facilities that are accessible when car camping. Like showers, LOL. We really like the tent. I'm glad I invested the money in it. It is very functional and roomy. The vesitbules make a big difference with the usable space. The Kaitum is similar to the Keron like the one Tipi has. The design is slightly different with it being higher in the center and a little lower on each end unlike the Keron, which the height is equal the length of the tent. Also, instead of Kerlon 1800 the Kaitum has the Kerlon 1200.

Very cool looking area, thanks a bunch for the photos and descriptions!

I'm glad you're liking the tent (who wouldn't?).

Are there any fish in that creek?

The creek is normally dry. It only flows when there are significant rains. There might be crawdads in it. I used a camera trick to make it look larger than it is. By putting the camera at the surface of the water, it changes the perspective and makes it appear larger.

This is a great place. Hiked all over the area in the 80s and 90's. I learned to rock climb there. Many of the climbs where established by the Senior Editor of Rock and Ice and is where I think he also learned to climb. Best hamburger around is Meers Store just north of Mt. Scott.

Cool effect on the creek, you can almost see the water bend to the sides from the lens. I really like that shot. No show?? I would have thought Salt lake are would have a fair amount of snow by now? And warm temps for January. Maybe I am just thinking it's colder then it is.

When I lived in Denver I was real surprised how mild the winters could be. Yea we could get 2 feet of snow in a day, but then it would be back in the 50's and 60's during the day. Colder at night though! That always surprised me.